Concern that outbreak of measles in rural Texas will spread rapidly

Texas doctors say they are worried about measles spreading to population centers in an outbreak that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expects to "expand rapidly".

- Jessica Glenza

Two people have died, including a child, and at least 208 people have been taken ill across west Texas and New Mexico after an outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease took hold in the rural Gaines county.

"It is worrisome," said Dr Ron Cook, a family medicine specialist in Lubbock who serves as the county's health authority. "Lubbock is the largest medical center and shopping center between Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Dallas-Fort Worth."

Residents of west Texas "come here to shop at the big box stores Walmart, Costco, Sam's and so forth", said Cook, adding that Lubbock hospitals had already treated 38 measles patients during the outbreak.